Friday, 31st August marked the end of Innovation Hub’s Future Skills Summer Camp (FSSC). For three weeks, children and teens aged 9 to 15 showed up to the National ICT Centre to participate in FSSC. The sessions introduced the over 30 participants, 40% of which were young girls, to the skills needed to create using new and emerging technologies.
Each child went through three modules during the Camp. The teens were introduced to Web Development, Mobile App Development and Social Media Marketing, while the younger participants were introduced to Augmented Reality (AR), 3D Printing, and Robotics. These areas were chosen for their potential to provide meaningful solutions to issues we face in the region.
Camp facilitators were Nathaniel Ible of ible.cn, Abi Begho of Obi and Titi, and Orren Joseph, a software developer within the Department of Technology. These three taught the Web Development, Social Media Marketing, and Augmented Reality modules, respectively. Fitzroy Edinborough, who has six years of experience in mobile app development, taught the remaining modules.
The facilitators approached each module with a focus on student-centred learning. This is where children learn by doing, apply what is learned, and work on fun projects with others. At Future Skills Summer Camp, questions were most welcome. So was failing, because a fail isn’t the end; it is only the First Attempt In Learning, and facilitators ensured that the children understood that.
FSSC 2018 was the first edition of a summer camp aimed at introducing the children in the Federation to the wide world of ICT. For those who participated in this year’s edition, the Camp is just the beginning as they continue to explore the wide world of ICT. Through continued learning, these children, and others, will develop the skills and knowledge needed to create solutions using these tools.
The event which occurred from August 13th to 31st pushes St Kitts-Nevis closer to accomplishing Sustainable Development Goals 4, 5, 8, 9, and 10. Fitzroy Edinborough, Coordinator of the Innovation & Training Unit, plans for this Camp to become an annual event.
No doubt the National ICT Centre, home of the Government of St Kitts-Nevis’ Department of Technology, is the perfect place for the Federation’s children to be inspired by the power of what’s possible.
